How to Crash a Wedding
by XFateXFellXShortX
Summary: When Tifa shows up to Seventh Heaven with a stranger, claimed to be her fiance, her friends simply can't let her make a huge mistake. Feelings not confessed, and unexpected pregnancy, and an unplanned vacation leads the group into an impossible mess. Eventual CloTi and Yuffentine.
1. Chapter 1

**So, it seems my obsession with FF7 has shown its face yet again. I've had the idea for this story for quite some time now. I guess every time I tried to put it down on paper, it just sounded horrendous to me. I'm still kind of skeptical about the whole thing, so I'm pretty nervous putting it out here. Here goes. **

Today was _the _day. Cloud was ready, and he was sure of this. He had been waiting years to say the words that he was about to stride in there, look her in the eye, and say. He'd say them loud for everyone in Seventh Heaven to hear. He stood outside the place, pacing the sidewalks, running over every possible scenario in his head. He raked his hands through the golden spikes of his hair repeatedly. Oh god, he would screw this up. What if his feelings weren't reciprocated? Maybe he should do this another day…

_**No! **_ he thought, _**I've been holding this off for years. If I don't do it now, I'm never going to. **_

He stopped, clenched his fists tight at his sides, and sighed. It was now or never. Here went nothing.

****

xXx

Vincent and Aerith stared at each other from across the table with the same thought on their minds: This was _not _good.

On Vincent's left, Yuffie gushed. "Oh. My. God. TEEF! This is _amazing! _Just wait until Cloud hears!"

_**Oh yes, **_Vincent thought, _**Just wait until Cloud hears. He'll be a drunken mess. **_

Tifa shook her head. "I just feel bad about how last minute this is. We just had some really unfortunate timing. This is the only week we can have it there."

_**Extremely unfortunate timing, **_Vincent thought begrudgingly with a dark sigh.

He met Aerith's gaze again. Her brows knitted together as if to say, _**Now what? **_All Vincent could do was shrug. He had no answer. He knew Cloud would march in here any second now. He heard the door open. He grimaced at the brunette and shook his head. There wasn't much they could do now, was there?

****

xXx

The first thing Cloud noticed was the addition to the group. He had no clue who the black haired man sitting next to Tifa was. He shook his head. Did it really matter who heard what he had to say? He approached the table and took his seat next to Yuffie, who in fact, was entirely oblivious to everything that he had planned.

"Cloud!" Tifa exclaimed, "I have something really important to tell you!"

He smiled. Maybe they were thinking the same thing. "I have something important to tell you too."

Tifa turned to look at the stranger sitting next to her. He had blue eyes, a killer smile, and black spiky hair. Cloud's stomach twisted as she beamed at him. She put her left hand on the table, the light glinting off of the ring on her finger.

"Zack and I are getting married!"

Cloud's head reeled. He felt the room around him spin and he gripped the table hard. A lump formed in his throat and his stomach knotted itself up even more. _**No… This can't be happening. This wasn't according to plan… She never mentioned anyone before now. **_

Tifa continued, despite the pained look on Cloud's face. "And I know this is on short notice, but we're getting married at Zack's family castle in Ireland. We have to fly out tomorrow because this is the only week we can have the wedding. The place is undergoing renovation after that, but we can't get around it. I'm really sorry, but I have something to ask you… Would you mind being my maid-of-honor—well 'man-of-honor' is more like it—but, I can't see anyone else doing it but you."

He couldn't think. His whole head hurt and the light and sound in the room blurred into a ribbon of colors and noise that made no sense to him whatsoever. He squeezed his eyes shut and muttered, "Yes. Yes, of course I will."

"So, what was it you had to tell me?"

"It's not really important anymore."

****

xXx

"And goddamn it, I just wanted to tell her that after all these years that I was in love with her."

Vincent and Cloud sat at the bar with drinks in their hands. Aerith sat with them, her fingers wrapped around a glass of water. She looked at him with worry written in her emerald eyes.

Vincent sighed over his drink. "I'm really sorry, Cloud, but maybe you dodged a bullet. Relationships really aren't as great as everyone makes them out to be, especially when they cheat on you with your science professor."

"You don't need Lucrecia, Vince. You're better off without her." Cloud slurred his words as he swallowed a sip of the fifth drink that night.

Vincent shrugged. His crimson were eyes distant, focusing on something that wasn't there. It had been at least six months since he had caught Lucrecia with Professor Hojo, but the pain was still there. Both Cloud and Aerith knew he couldn't just shrug it off like he liked to pretend to. Aerith wondered if maybe finding someone else would have helped him. She dared not say a word. She already knew she had to haul one drunk man out of Seventh Heaven, there was no need for two.

At about 11:30, they were finally able to pull Cloud out of the bar.

"Are you sure you've got him?" Vincent asked.

Aerith smiled and pulled Cloud's arm a little closer around her neck. "Yeah, we should be fine. I'll see you tomorrow bright and early."

"Alright."

****

xXx

Tifa stared at the little pink plus.

"No. No no no. No. This really can't be happening. This is a dream. I'm going to wake up from it any minute now."

She ran a nervous hand through her waterfall of dark hair. Wine colored eyes blinked, not believing the sight they were taking in. It didn't matter now. She was getting married. Married people were supposed to have children. They were supposed to have big, happy families. So, having a child shouldn't be a big deal… Right? She thought that it had to have been about a month. Oh God, this wasn't good. Her heart sank into her stomach as the pink plus burned into her memory. What if this wasn't really what she wanted? She shook her head. No, she wanted this. Or did she? She sat on the sink with her head in her hands. Well, she had to want it now.

Her phone rang from beside her, pulling her from the venomous thoughts that threatened tears.

"Hey!" Yuffie's voice rang into her ears.

"Hey."

She began her usual chatter about how she had been packing for hours on end, and what should she wear to the wedding? Was it really 3 a:m already?!

"Hey, boobs, are you sure about this whole wedding thing? I mean, not to intrude or anything, but you never said anything about having a boyfriend at all. I don't know… Maybe I'm just being super dumb. I guess I just don't want you to make a mistake is all. No offense or anything. Cloud look absolutely crushed!"

Tifa's heart skipped a beat. "No he didn't! Stop playing!"

"He totally did."

"Will you shut up?! I have to tell you something, but you have to swear not to tell anyone about it."

Yuffie giggled. "Sure, Teef. I won't say anything! Not even if Vinnie—uhh… I promise."

Tifa smirked. "You can't hide your feelings for him forever, you know."

"Shut _up!_" Yuffie squealed.

Tifa took one steady breath. "Well, I kind of have to be sure about this. I'm pregnant."

"_**WHAT?!" **_

****

xXx

At about 5 a:m, Vincent's eyes flew open. The front door to his apartment slammed shut. He found himself in attack mode. He lived alone, and no one other than him owned a key to the place. He had made sure to change the locks after the incident with Lucrecia. He didn't live in the best of neighborhoods, either. So, walking very quietly, wielding Cerberus, the gun that had been passed down through his family, he made his way out of his room. He heard the source of the noise coming from the kitchen. Raising the gun and turning on the light, he yelled, "Stay where you are!"

There, on his kitchen counter, sat Yuffie, her hand in a can of Pringles.

He sighed and set the gun on the counter.

"Your lock sucks, Vinnie," She told him, cheeks full of chips.

There was no way he was going back to bed with her here. He started the coffee maker for himself.

"So, I have something to tell you even though Tifa told me not to tell you, but don't tell her I told you, okay?"

Vincent yawned and nodded.

"Tifa's preggers."

He rubbed at his eyes. "Well, that certainly complicates things even more."

"What do you mean?"

"Cloud is entirely head-over-heels for her. He was coming in to tell her that today, but she spontaneously shows up with this Zack character, who turns out to be her fiancé." He shook his head, tired eyes never straying from her face.

"I'm worried, Vincent."

That caught his attention. She _never_ used his actual name. She normally called him Vince or Vinnie. He wouldn't admit to loving those silly little pet names, but he did.

Yuffie continued. "I'm just worried that she's going to marry Zack, and then realize she wasn't as happy as she thought she was. Something tells me she's just not happy…I think I know what we have to do."

His eyes widened as he realized what she meant. "Yuffie, normally I wouldn't consent to this, but considering the circumstances…"

Yuffie grinned. "Vincent Valentine, I do believe we have a wedding to crash."

****

xXx

****

Okay, so, there's the first chapter. I'm in the progress of writing the second, but I'm not sure if I should continue it. So, reviews would be nice. Should I continue it? Someone halp. 

**FFS**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! So, I decided to continue on with this story, though I will admit it took a friend pushing me to finish it. I also apologize for the second chapter taking so long. I needed ideas, and sometimes they don't just come to you overnight. I want to thank everyone for following, faving, and reviewing. Constructive criticism is always extremely appreciated! I also want to thank my friend Gabbie who has helped me come up with a lot of the ideas for this. Especially on Zack's character. Uhhh… Yeah. You'll get to that… Heh. I also apologize for not stating that this was an AU! Agh. I'm terrible at putting little details like that in and I'm 90% sure that I typed chapter one somewhere around 3 am. Goes to show how organized I am. Anyways, enjoy the second chapter of this little ficlet, and don't forget to review any comments, questions, concerns, or ideas! Yes. Especially the ideas one. Until next time!**

Cloud glared at the plane they were all about to board. He was hung over, sleep deprived, heartbroken, and extremely aggravated. Not to mention, this whole ordeal had taken an entire week out of his vacation time. Behind him, he could hear Aerith and Yuffie chit-chatting with Zack. Cloud guessed they were trying to get to know him a little better, something he might be doing if oh, Zack wasn't marrying the woman he'd been in love with for years. The noise made his head spin.

Who _was _this Zack guy, anyway? Why in the hell hadn't Tifa said anything about him before now? How long had they been together? Had they…? He rubbed his bleary eyes and sighed. Maybe it was best if he didn't know. All of the questions racing through his mind made his head throb worse. How was he supposed to deal with all of this?

"Here." Vincent's deep voice interrupted his thoughts.

He looked up to see his friend had returned with a bottle of Advil, two coffees for them, and an energy drink for Yuffie—which she greedily snatched up with a grin and a, "Thanks, Vin-Vin!"

With one glance at Cloud, Vincent sighed. "You look like shit."

"_Thanks._ I feel like it, too."

Cloud never expected Vincent to say much. He had always been nearly silent since they were little kids in grade school. After all, the whole group had grown up together, never really straying from their little clique. Cloud found that whenever he was in turmoil, the sparse words he could get out of Vincent were usually the most helpful. This definitely counted as a tremulous time.

"What do I do?" He asked, almost a whisper.

Vincent's blood red eyes met his, concern clearly written in them. His brow furrowed in thought, silence hanging in the air. "I suppose you could object," He replied. "I'm not going to guarantee the outcome, but at least she would know."

Cloud snorted. "Says you."

Vincent quirked an eyebrow.

"You still haven't told Yuffie yet."

"She isn't the one getting married."

"Touché."

They sat in silence, sipping their coffees, both lost in thought. Cloud needed advice, and he needed it fast.

"What would you do if Yuffie was the one getting married?"

"Hn." It was obvious that his attention was not on Cloud, but the Wutaian girl that laughed along with whatever Aerith had said moments ago. A small smirk played on his lips, a certain warm light glowed in his crimson eyes. "The only thing I know is that I wouldn't stay silent."

**xXx**

They boarded the plane later that morning, their foul-mouthed pilot friend spitting profanities. If you asked Cid Highwind what exactly he thought of all of this wedding business, he would tell you that it was bullshit and his adopted son needed to grow some balls and spit it out already. He and his wife, Shera had taken Cloud under their wing, after their dear friend, Mr. Strife had passed away, leaving his orphan son. They raised him, right next door to a man named Barret, who had also adopted a group of ragtag orphan children. Tifa was proud to call him, Marlene, and Denzel her family, as strange as they all looked together.

"Damn, Yuffie! Your ass is lagging! You're at least half my age and I can move faster than you!"

Yuffie swung her bags at him. "Shut up, grandpa! I got two hours of sleep last night, and I'll be damned if I take any crap from you!"

Cid chuckled and reached for his cigarettes. Looking up and meeting the glare from his wife, who sat beside Barret, he thought better of it. Instead, he slipped the hand into his pocket and grumbled to himself about her being a nag.

"I know who wears the pants in _this _relationship," Barret chortled.

One row behind Barret, sat Marlene and Denzel, who were buzzing with excitement. Upon boarding, Tifa kissed them both on the cheeks, just like always. Aerith boarded next, taking her seat next to Tifa, leaving Zack in the seats across. Yuffie managed to coax Vincent into the seat next to her, though she didn't even have to try, not that she knew that. That left one seat left for Cloud—right next to Zack.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," He muttered under his breath, dragging his feet down the aisle. He slumped into the seat, his broad shoulders drooping in defeat.

"Hey there, Cloud!" Zack exclaimed with that perfect camera-ready smile.

Cloud wanted to hurl.

Zack held out his hand, getting a limp shake in response. The only side he'd seen of Cloud was an unresponsive disinterested one. That hadn't at all matched up to what Tifa had described him as. To be honest, Zack was a bit thrown off. He decided that maybe he just needed to let Cloud come out of his shell a bit. Zack was good at being friendly. "Sorry I didn't really get to introduce myself yesterday. I got called back into work. It's tough being a firefighter sometimes. We're always on call."

Cloud simply shrugged.

Whatever supreme power was out there, it hated Cloud. Or, at least that was what he had decided three hours into the flight. He had practically heard Zack's entire life story by the time Shera had come around asking if they wanted a drink. Deciding to drink of his hangover—and to endure the duration of the flight—he started off with a beer. He silently sipped on it while Zack talked his ear off about how his parents had come to inherit this massive castle they'd all be staying in the next couple of days for the wedding. Finally, he had built up the courage to ask, "So, uh… How exactly did you and Tifa meet?"

Zack's face turned a little red and he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, this is a little embarrassing, but…"

"He's an _exotic dancer?" _Aerith demanded, emerald eyes the size of the moon, boring into Tifa's. Her friend returned a sheepish smile.

"Yeah…Yuffie and I got bored on a Friday night, so we made our way down to the strip club and had a little fun."

This was _exactly _why Aerith always bailed out early on Friday nights.

"So, Yuffie knew about this, too?"

Tifa shook her head. "No, she got totally trashed. She doesn't remember a thing."

Aerith had to giggle at that. "Typical Yuffie."

They turned to see her in her seat a couple of rows behind them. Despite the caffeine she poured into her body, she was out cold, using Vincent's shoulder as a pillow. He had fallen asleep, too, leaning his head on hers. The two women couldn't help but smile.

"Awwwww…." Tifa cooed.

"I wish they'd just date already," Aerith added.

The moment was interrupted by Cloud who choked and sputtered on his drink, parallel to them across the aisle. Zack patted his back.

"Aaaaand….Cloud knows," Tifa sighed, looking a little deflated.

Aerith sipped at her water with a bemused smile. The next few days would surely be interesting.

"I mean, it's not a full-time thing, just a night job. Something to bring in a little extra cash, you know?"

Cloud wasn't paying much attention to Zack's explanation of his line of work. In fact, he was so shocked, couldn't do much but gape, mouth open like a fish out of water. Tifa was marrying a _stripper. _A. _STRIPPER. _That was a real blow to his self-esteem. Sure, he was a delivery boy, but that was just until he graduated and got his college degree that spring. Still, that was better than ripping off his clothes in front of a crowd of desperate women that hardly followed the look-don't-touch rule. So _that _was why she never told anyone about him. Hell, he could hardly see her even _going _to a strip club. Of course Yuffie was the one to drag her along. He turned around to glare at the lithe little girl that Vincent so loved, only to find that she was asleep. That little….

"You don't think any lesser of me, do you?"

Cloud turned around to look Zack in the eye. "Huh?"

"I just don't want you to think lowly of me. I like you, Cloud. I think you're cool."

Cloud almost felt bad. Maybe if they were under different circumstances, they would have become really good friends. Maybe with time, they could be.

Cloud shook his head. "Of course not. You gotta do what you gotta do." In response, he got a lopsided grin. It was then that he thought that maybe, they really could be friends.

**xXx**

The group sat in the airport, waiting on the driver Zack's parents had sent to drive them to the castle. They were beyond exhausted, and no matter how many sugary, caffeinated drinks they consumed, they couldn't seem to wake themselves up. Their travel was not over by any means. After the Fair's driver had picked them up, it was a two and a half hour journey until they had finally reached their destination.

It was all wearing on Cloud's nerves. He, unlike all of his friends, was unable to fall asleep in the noisy Ireland airport. He also figured he should keep watch for the late driver, anyway, since no one else was awake to do it.

The reality of the situation came crashing down on him like a ton of bricks. This was really it. This was his last chance. He rubbed his temples, releasing a deep sigh. He looked over at Tifa's sleeping form. She leaned against Barret's shoulder, little Marlene curled in her lap, Denzel clutching onto her arm.

She was by far the most beautiful woman he'd ever met with her fair skin, sleek dark tresses, wine red eyes, and here he was, about to let her go.

He sat up a little straighter, shaking his blonde spikes. No, he wasn't going to let her go. Not now, after all they had been through together, throughout the years. He was going to fight for her, and by god, he was determined to win. Between now and the next four days, he'd make Tifa Lockheart fall for him and realize Zack couldn't hold a candle to the awesomeness that was Cloud Strife.

He'd do it even if it meant the end of him.

**That's all for now! I'll try to be a little more diligent about writing and posting the third chapter. **

**FFS**e haVin


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